Most strollers are comprised of multiple rigid members, typically metal tubing extrusions that are formed and cut to various lengths. The rigid members are fastened together by welds, rivets, screws, or other conventional fasteners to create a frame structure that is rigid when open and that has the ability to articulate and fold for storage/transportation. This method of fabrication requires many parts and involves multiple and costly labor intensive steps to complete a finished frame. The stroller's overall durability and quality have to be managed wherever fastening of the rigid members takes place.
Many stroller manufacturer make multiple stroller types including, for example, a lightweight stroller, a standard stroller, a double (or tandem) stroller, and a jogging stroller. Each stroller frame can have a unique design, fold, or style that dictates the need for new parts. That is, many stroller frame parts that are manufactured are unique to a specific frame design and are not shared across the entire stroller platform. This aspect of stroller design and construction increases the amount of individual parts, which increases assembly time and cost. In fact, a large part of the cost of a stroller is associated in the construction and material needed to create the stroller frame.
In the current market, the cost of raw goods, such as steel and aluminum, needed to make a stroller frame often exceeds the cost allowable to manufacture a stroller and remain profitable with traditional manufacturing techniques and current retail price points. Simplifying the construction process for the frame and reducing the amount of components required to construct a finished stroller product would provide favorable savings and reduction in assembly time for the manufacturer. This is a key problem facing manufacturers of strollers today if they wish to remain profitable in the stroller category.
On average, the US consumer tends to own six different strollers while raising children. Children develop physically in a rapid growth curve, and, not surprisingly, parents have different needs and utility expectations for strollers at each stage of child growth.
Parents of infants typically purchase a stroller that is larger and more cushioned for the child and that includes fully reclined seating (180°) so the infant can sleep. Parents of infants also desire a large storage area for a diaper bag, an extra change of clothes, formula, and other infant items. This stroller type typically is offered in a version that is termed a two-dimensional (2D) fold within the industry, meaning that the stroller folds in one plane, collapsing like a folding chair.
As the child becomes a toddler/preschooler, the parent needs less in terms of storage and comfort stroller features. The seat back of the stroller typically need not be reclinable to 180°; rather, the stroller seat back need only partially recline to make the seating a bit more comfortable. Since the child is older and can stay outdoors longer, the parent is now more mobile and, as a result, wants a stroller that is smaller in size and is compact when folded for getting on/off public transportation, in/out of trunks, or in/out of stores. In this regard, lightweight strollers that include a 2D fold are available for older children. Other strollers suitable for older children include umbrella or three-dimensional (3D) fold strollers. These umbrella strollers are designed to fold more compactly, collapsing in the vertical and horizontal axis.
In addition to these most prevalent needs, parents are also purchasing specialized strollers with specific utility for jogging or accommodating multiple children.
There exists a need for a stroller system that can address the manufacturing and cost concerns of stroller manufacturers, as well as the concerns of parents, who are faced with the prospect of purchasing multiple strollers as their children grow.